The popularity of swimming pools, particularly in residential areas, continues to increase. This increased popularity is based at least in part on the availability of aesthetically appealing above-ground pools, whose durability permits cost-effective purchasing by consumers. Above-ground pools additionally are particularly useful in areas where substantial excavation is either impermissible or undesirable. In densely-populated regions, for example, residential lawns may not be sufficiently large to accommodate the space required for in-ground pools. Moreover, in some cases they may be inadequate to accommodate the equipment necessary to excavate in-ground pools, even if space for such pools exists. Alternatively, above-ground pools may be preferable because of the decreased time typically needed for installation (and, if necessary, removal) or the lesser maintenance requirements and costs often associated with them.
Many substantially-permanent above-ground pools are generally either circular or oval in shape, with each type comprising multiple vertical walls and a frame. Because of their strength, galvanized steel or other compositions are usually chosen as materials from which the walls are made. Nonetheless, water pressure present at and near the bottoms of filled pools often requires the walls of above-ground pools to be braced for reliable performance. This bracing requirement is particularly pertinent in connection with oval pools, whose elongated side walls are especially vulnerable to collapse from the outward pressure exerted by the water contained therein.
As a consequence of this vulnerability, existing oval above-ground pools are constructed with braces supporting the lower sections of their side walls. Each brace includes three pieces, denominated an "upright" portion, an "angled" portion, and a "connecting" portion. FIG. 1 illustrates such braces 10 of above-ground pool 14, whose generally oval shape requires use of multiple vertical side walls 18. As shown in FIG. 1, upright portion 22 extends upward from bottom 26 of side wall 18, with connecting portion 28 being either at ground level or buried underground. An end of each of upright portion 22 and angled portion 30 connects to a respective end of connecting portion 28, while the other end 34 of angled portion 30 attaches to upright portion 22. The resulting structure resembles the outline of a right triangle, with angled portion 30 constituting the hypotenuse.
FIG. 1 details the protruding nature of braces 10. Such braces 10 frequently extend outward several feet from side walls 18 on both sides of pool 14, increasing the surface area of the lawn required for installing the pool. This increased surface area can cause difficulties in installing pools in areas subject to covenants or zoning regulations, as insufficient land may remain post-installation to meet setback and other legal or contractual requirements. Braces 10 may also inhibit lawn maintenance adjacent pool 14 and, to some, may detract from the aesthetic appeal of the pool itself. The three-piece structure of each brace 10 additionally increases its associated manufacturing and installing cost, while supporting less than the entire vertical height of a side wall 18.